Dr Manish Singhal - The best Cancer Specialist in Delhi
Blood Cancer Patients Do Not Have Many Chances To Produce Covid-19 Antibodies after Vaccination
Covid 19 has been a curse to so many lives and families all across the globe. While scientists have come up with effective vaccines, they are still not effective for blood cancer or leukemia patients. Being diagnosed with cancer is not only a big enough setback but also starts the tedious search for finding a Lymphoma Cancer Doctor In Noida and getting the best possible treatment available for your loved one. On top of all that, dealing with the pandemic’s uncertainty and keeping your loved ones safe adds to the stress.
Effectiveness of vaccines in cancer patients
While the Covid-19 vaccines came as a relief to many, they are not of much use for cancer patients suffering from lymphoma or leukemia. Under normal conditions, the vaccine is supposed to trigger the production of antibodies within a person, so that the body can use them to fight off serious Covid infection later on. Though the same is not the case for blood cancer patients and covid vaccines, and the vaccines are pretty much ineffective for them.
According to the research conducted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, LLS, about one-fourth of the blood cancer patients failed to produce any kinds of antibodies in response to the vaccine. Further analysis showed that the response also varied as per the type of blood cancer and the stage.
While these studies could not be conducted on a large number of people because the immunity if already compromised in patients with leukemia and covid vaccine trials, would put them at an exceptionally higher risk for infections that may result in death. The bottom line from all these trials was that even after being 100 percent vaccinated, the chances of protection against the infection are slim.
Risk level for various patients
The risk level for all cancer patients is higher than the general public, however, within them, the risk level and the covid vaccine effectiveness also varies. Several studies conducted on various cancer patients at different stages of the disease showed varied responses. While the formation of antibodies in some was 100% effective, others didn’t show any detectable antibodies.
According to the reports by the LLS, the following was the effectiveness of antibodies formation in various cancer patients in response to the vaccine:
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma:
In patients suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the response to the vaccine was quite ineffective. Most of the patients didn’t show any detectable antibodies. Their treatment course involves the treatment with anti-CD20 antibodies which eliminates the B-cells that are responsible for producing antibodies.
Leukemia:
Among the leukemia patients the results were significantly worse for those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Even those patients who had previously recovered from CLL were also incapable of producing antibodies because of the damage to the B-cells.
Multiple Myeloma:
Among the several patients under study, patients with multiple myeloma, had a comparatively higher chance of producing detectable antibodies. The studies showed that only 5 per cent of the myeloma patients lacked any antibodies.
Should cancer patients get vaccinated?
The next big question that people have for cancer specialists is if cancer patients with no response to the vaccine should get vaccinated or not. While it is true that for cancers that affect the B cells, the chances for the body responding to the vaccine are low, however, they are not zero. Without conducting prior tests, one cannot predict if the vaccine will trigger the production of antibodies in a certain individual.
Apart from that, scientists and cancer specialists have also discovered an effective treatment plan, the CAR T-cell immunotherapy to help increase the effectiveness of the covid vaccine in blood cancer patients and make the covid-19 vaccine more effective for them. The treatment involves harnessing the body’s immunity to fight off cancer in CLL patients. However, the treatment also helped make up for the B-cells lost because of certain blood cancers and thus, the patients developed antibodies in response to the vaccine.
Apart from this, it is also better for all family members to get vaccinated to reduce the overall risk of spreading of infection to blood cancer patients and those who have a compromised immune system.
Cancer specialists near you
Cancer as a disease is not just traumatic to the patients but also to all those who are directly related. We understand that finding the best leukemia cancer doctor in Noida can take a toll on your family. If you are looking for a blood cancer specialist near you, you can connect with the expert, Dr Manish Singhal.
As one of the leading doctors for blood cancer patients, Dr Singhal is the perfect choice even for those patients who got their leukemia diagnosis after the covid vaccine. At a time when the effects of Covid-19 and the vaccine are still under study, it is better to go for the best to ensure the best course of treatment with us for your loved one.
